A Son's Tears
by KitsuneOnna84
Summary: Young Prince Vegeta learns of his father's failed campaign, causing him to question his own feelings. Sequel to my first fic, "A Mother's Love"


**Disclaimer:**  I don't own DragonBall Z, or any of its characters, nor do I claim to.  It is a trademark of and copyrighted by Akira Toriyama/Bird Studio, Shueisha, TOEI Animation, FUJI TV, and Nippon Columbia. DRAGON BALL and its related series have been licensed in North America to FUNimation Productions, Viz Communications, Pioneer Entertainment, Bandai of America, and Saban Entertainment.

This story is the work of a fan, using Toriyama-sensei's characters.  None of these characters are mine, except **Celina**.  She's mine, so don't take her without my permission, 'kay? G  This is my first real emotional 'fic, so please pardon any mistakes ;;  Feel free to review and send me any constructive criticism.

I've used a few Japanese terms in this 'fic.  Some of you will understand them, but for those who don't, I've included a list at the bottom of the 'fic explaining them.  Also, the lullaby I used in this story is "Key's Lullaby" from the anime title _Key the Metal Idol_.  The song is not mine, nor do I claim it.   Enjoy!!

"A Son's Tears" 

By Kat (aka Kitsune Onna)

As night fell on the planet of Cissico, the atmosphere was calm.  A gentle breeze wafted through the air, carrying with it a mixture of scents.  The smell of smoke, burnt flesh, and, most prominent, the awful scent of death.  Literally hundreds of corpses littered the once beautiful countryside.  Sitting on a rock, at the scene of the massacre, was a young boy.  His wild, spiky black hair stood up, looming above his long red cape, where it attached to his white armor.  He calmly munched on a cookie as he observed the surrounding area, looking through the green lens of his scouter.  As he sat, he wondered idly what his father was doing.

_"Surely father has defeated Furiiza by now…" _He frowned slightly, _"He'd better hurry up and contact me, so I can leave.  I'm getting seriously bored here…These natives were no challenge for someone of MY skill."_ 

He turned his head upward slightly to search the sky for any sign of incoming spacecrafts.  As he watched, he grew impatient.

_"Damn it, father…If you take much longer, I'll **never** hear the end of it from mother…"_ he stopped, frowning.  _"Where in the universe did **that** come from…Since when do I care what mother thinks…?"_  His thoughts then turned to his mother.  _"I'll never understand her…she always makes such a fuss about such stupid things…So what if I'm a few days late returning from a planet?  So what if I come back injured…though that doesn't happen often…"_

His thoughts were interrupted as Nappa's voice sounded in the scouter at his ear, "Vegeta-sama!  Do you read me?"

"What is it?" he asked, mildly irritated.

"We've just received a transmission from Furiiza-sama.  It seems as though Vegeta-sei has been destroyed!"

"And?"

"Apparently, a giant meteor collided with the planet.  Counting us, there are very few surviving Saiya-jin."

"And?"

"Er…Nothing else in particular.  That was all."

"Humph.  This planet is all but exterminated.  I'll have to request Furiiza-sama to give us worlds that will put up more of a fight."

He glanced around at the mounds of corpses surrounding him as he heard Nappa break the communications link.  He soon caught himself looking up at the sky again, disbelief showing slightly on his face.

_"Vegeta-sei…destroyed…?"_

His thoughts then turned to his father and mother, as he wondered what they would do now that their planet, their home, had been destroyed.   He then pressed the button on his scouter to reactivate the link as he began to speak.

"My spacecraft was damaged on landing, so I'll need you to send someone to pick me up.  I'll head to whatever base my father is currently stationed at."

There was a moment of silence at the other end of the line, "…I-I'm sorry, Vegeta-sama…but your father is…"

"Is what?" he asked, irritated.

"…Your father has been…killed…"

His eyes widened, "What?!  How…?!"

"He was on Vegeta-sei when it exploded…"

Vegeta laughed shortly, "You think that could kill my father?  Search the remains, and you'll find him."

"…There were no survivors from the collision…only those Saiya-jin that were away survived."

Vegeta was silent for a moment, "…Well, like I said, you'd better hurry up and come get me." His voice hardened, "If you take too long, I'll take my boredom out on _you_!"

"Y-Yes, your majesty!  I'll send someone for you right away!"

With that, the man disconnected, leaving the young Saiya-jin prince alone with his thoughts.  His small face bore a slightly stunned expression as he continued to gaze at the stars.

_"How could this happen…?  How could father die like this…?"_ He clenched his teeth slightly, _"He shouldn't have even been on Vegeta-sei…!  What went wrong?!"_  His eyes clearly showed his disbelief, _"…Father…you were so strong…how could you let yourself die…before you even defeated that son of a bitch Furiiza?!"_ He began to breathe a bit harder, _"Now mother will…" _He gasped slightly as the realization hit him, _"…She was on Vegeta-sei, too…"_ He blinked as his mind processed this information, _"The only Saiya-jin that were scheduled to be away today are myself, Raditsu, and Nappa…that means that everyone else was…"_

His thoughts were interrupted as his scouter's communicator activated.  He heard Nappa's voice once more.

"Vegeta-sama?  Do you read me?"

"…Yes…What is it now?" he growled.

"I just wanted to inform you that we have just located Cissico-sei on our maps.  Unfortunately, we are a great distance from it, so it will take us some time to arrive.  I will contact you again as we land, so that you may give us your coordinates."

"Very well.  Was that all?" he asked, irritation showing plainly in his voice.

"…Y-Yes, Vegeta Ou…That is all."

Vegeta was silent as the man disconnected. _"So now I'm Vegeta Ou…?"_  He looked down at the ground, _"Some king I am…Vegeta-sei is gone…my people are all but extinct…"_  He shook his head slightly, _"No…father is the true King of Vegeta-sei…The **last** King of the great Saiya-jin race…"_ He looked up at the sky, _"That is one title that I will never wear.  I will forever be as I am now…the only son of my father, Vegeta Ou…And I will pride myself on this, as befits the Saiya-jin no Ouji."_ 

Vegeta sat silently for a moment, his thoughts wandering.  A stiff breeze blew through the area, causing the young prince to shiver violently.  He glanced briefly at the planet's sun, _"Damn it…it'll be dark soon…looks like I'll have to spend the night on this retched planet…"_ 

Returning his gaze to the area around him, he soon spotted a lone tree standing a short distance from where he sat.  He rose and walked quickly over to the tree, ducking under the low branches.  He swept his foot across the ground a few times, brushing away the trigs and leaf litter that lay there.  He then lay down on one side, wrapping his cloak around his body.  Another wind raked the area, rustling the leaves in the tree above him.  He clenched his cloak tighter, and instinctively curled into a ball, trying to conserve his body heat.  Soon, his exhaustion overcame his coldness, and the young prince fell asleep.

In a brightly lighted garden, a Saiya-jin woman waited.  She sat crouched down, her weight resting on the balls of her feet, with her arms resting on her knees.  Her long black hair cascaded down her back, glinting in the bright sunlight.  She wore a normal Saiya-jin uniform, the only difference being the small crest on the left side of the chest.  Her long cape fluttered slightly as a gentle breeze swept the garden.

"Come on, darling…don't be afraid." She smiled.

At her soft words, a young child moved from behind a small bush.  He looked to be no more than two years old.  His wild black hair stood straight up, contrasting sharply with his white armor and blue uniform.  His young eyes held a look of uncertainty, as he met his mother's gentle gaze.

She smiled again, "It's okay, darling…you can do it…"

He frowned slightly, still a bit uncertain.

"Come on, Vegeta-chan…for me?"

He looked thoughtful for a moment, then nodded, "…Okay…I'll try it…for you, mommy…"

She smiled and held out her arms.

The young boy closed his eyes, his little eyebrows knitting into a look of extreme concentration.  His cloak began to flutter a bit, though there was no breeze.  Soon, his feet slowly lifted off the ground.  His small body rose a bit higher into the air, until he was about a foot off the ground.  He levitated there for a few moments.

"That's good, darling…now just come to me."

He slowly began moving, though it was not forward.  He moved at a diagonal, to the left.

"Vegeta-chan, you have to open you eyes.  If you don't, you won't be able to see where you're going."

He hesitated slightly, then slowly opened his eyes.  His levitation faltered slightly, as he quickly tightened his grip on his concentration.  His eyes fixed on his mother's smiling face, as he willed himself to move toward her.  As he slowly drifted toward her, he began to smile.  _"I'm doing it!  I really am!  I'm so glad…mommy looks so happy!"_  As his thoughts continued, he quickly began to rise higher into the air.  Soon, he saw his mother begin to frown.  She stood up moments later.

"Darling…?"

He then looked down and gasped.  He was up much higher than he had realized.  His mother was about five and a half feet tall, and he could tell that he was easily over her head.  He returned his gaze to her, fear beginning to show in his eyes.

"Mommy…" he whined.

"Can you get down, darling?"

"…No…" he said, as he continued to rise slowly.

Seeing the frightened look on his face, she smiled reassuringly, "It's all right, Vegeta-chan.  I'll come up and get you."

She then summoned her ki, causing her body to levitate as she willed herself to move upward.  As she moved, she began wondering.  _"How did he get up that high?  He shouldn't be able to do that yet…he can't even control his ki enough to get back down…"_ Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard her son let out a small screech.  He suddenly began descending at a rapid rate.  She swore; he was falling far to her right.  She raced to get under him, _"Oh God…!"_  She managed to meet him about two feet above the ground.  He nearly fell right on top of her.  She snatched him up, wrapping her arms around him.  She held his small head to her chest as she quickly descended.  As soon as her feet touched the ground, she fell to her knees, cradling her son against her.  She could tell that he was breathing hard as his tiny hands clutched at her back.  She lowered her head, burying her face in his thick black hair.  As the child hugged his mother, he could feel her heart beating through her armor.  Her pulse was at least as fast, if not faster, than his.  He raised his head slightly, to see a single tear fall from his mother's face.  Wiping the few tears from his own eyes, he squirmed around until she lifted him up higher, so that his head was above her shoulders.  He placed his tiny hand on her cheek, as she met his gaze.

"It's okay, mommy…"

"I'm sorry, Vegeta-chan…I shouldn't have made you try to fly that far…you don't have enough control yet…"

He wrapped his arms around her neck, hugging her, "But you caught me, mommy…"

"Yes…I did…" she breathed a whisper, "Thank God…"

He hugged her again, "I love you, mommy…"

"I love you, too, my Vegeta-chan…" she clutched him to herself.

Celina held him for a moment, gently stroking his hair with one hand.  Suddenly, the sky began to turn dark, and the wind began to blow strongly.  Celina clutched her son tightly, wrapping her cloak around him as she stood up.  The ground began to shake violently as she tried to run.  In the eerie half-light, she didn't see the large rock until her foot struck it.  Loosing her balance, she fell to the ground, releasing her grip on her son as she did.  Her momentum threw her son forward, causing him to land several feet in front of her.  As she scrambled to get up, she felt a sharp pain in her ankle.  She swore; she must have twisted it.  Shifting her weight to her other leg, she headed toward her son.  Another violent shock caused the ground to quake, even more strongly than before.  With only one leg, she could not maintain her balance.  As she fell to the ground again, she met her son's gaze.

"Mommy…" he reached his arms out to her.

She quickly began to crawl toward him.  When she was about halfway to him, the ground underneath her began to crack.  She gasped as the quake tore the ground apart, creating a large rift between her and her son.  As she reached her arm out to him, the cracks began to spread all the way around her, effectively trapping her.  As she struggled to bring her thoughts to order, to harness her ki, the ground began to rise up, and she could hear loud noises coming from beneath the surface.  Suddenly, the ground exploded upward with a thunderous sound, as if explosives had been planted beneath the surface.  Her eyes widened in fear as the whole world seemed to drawing her into its explosion.

She let out one scream, "Vegeta!"

Her son let out a desperate cry as he saw his mother being thrown upward, "Mommy!"

He struggled to move toward her, but stopped cold when he heard her agonized scream.  He looked up and cried out.  He could see his mother's body being torn apart by all the debris that was flying through the air.  Unable to take his eyes away from the terrifying spectacle, he let out a heart-wrenching wail as tears streamed down his cheeks.

"Mommy!!!"

Vegeta sat bold upright as he came awake, wailing at the top of his lungs, "Mommy!!"

His cry echoed throughout the desolate countryside.  He slouched forward, his hands in his lap.  Still breathing hard, he was surprised to feel a drop of water touch his bare arm.  He frowned slightly; it wasn't raining.  He then became aware of streaks of water on his face, cold as the breeze touched them.  He brought one hand up to wipe his face, when his vision began to blur.  When he dashed his arm across his eyes, he was shocked to find that tears stood in them.  His eyes widened slightly.

"Tears?  I was crying…?  But…I never cry…not since…" 

He gasped softly as the memory of his dream began to come back to him. _"Mother…"_

Taking the corner of his cloak, Vegeta wiped his tear-stained cheeks, and quickly dashed his hand against his eyes once more.  He then frowned slightly as he tried to remember all the details of his dream.

_"…I remember…that day, when okaasan was helping me learn to control my ki…so I could master flight…But…why would I dream about it?  That was such a long time ago…"_ his expression became slightly thoughtful as his memories began to surface in his mind, _"I remember… when I fell, I was so scared…but then mother caught me…and I thought that she was even more afraid than I was…After that, she just held me…she kept saying 'I love you, Vegeta-chan'…'Don't ever forget that, no matter what happens…'…"_

His eyes widened,"Mother…" He whispered, looking up at the sky through a break in the branches above his head.

_"…I forgot…didn't I?  I forgot…how much you love me…and how much you mean to me…"_ he lowered his gaze, _"When I was little, I was with you almost constantly…father would come talk to me, but you took care of me…"_ he sighed softly, _"You were everything to me…But then…I got older, and father began training me to be a warrior…teaching me to be a man…He taught me not to be weak…that I didn't need to run to you for comfort when I was hurt or scared…he taught me to take care of myself…I always respected him for that…"_ he sighed softly, _"But…as I learned this…I forgot about you…forgot how much you loved me…After that, I wouldn't let you hold me, or comfort me…I said that I was too old for that…I put my pride before my heart…I shut you out of my life…"_

He turned his gaze skyward, looking out at the multitude of stars, _"Forgive me…mother…"_  He yawned slightly as he lay back down, drawing his cloak around himself once more.

"Forgive me…" he murmured softly as he drifted off to sleep once more.

Celina sat in a large chair, looking out at her garden.  When she began to notice the occasional flicker of the fireflies, she glanced at the sun.  _"It's getting late…"_  She fluidly rose from her chair and strode out into the garden.

"Vegeta-chan?" she called, "It's time to come in, darling…!"

She kept walking until she reached one of the large rose bushes.  As she rounded it, she spotted her son crawling around underneath its branches.  He was only two, so his small body fit under even the lowest branches.  Kneeling down, she gently grabbed him by the waist and lifted him up.  His small face was smudged with dirt as he frowned at her.

"Mommy…?"

She smiled slightly as she took the corner of her cloak to wipe the dirt from his face, "It's time for bed, darling."

"But mommy…" he whined, looking at the bush he had been under.

"No buts." she shifted his weight slightly, "You need your rest.  The rose bush will be there tomorrow."

"…Okay…" he finally conceded.

She then turned and headed back toward the palace.  As she walked she glanced down at him, "What were you doing under there, anyway?

"Practicing."

"Practicing what?"

"Sneaking."

She chuckled softly, "Sneaking?  And just what were you planning to sneak up on?"

He shrugged slightly, "That big furry thing that lives in your willow tree."

She shook her head slightly, "My little hunter…"

When they reached the large double-doors leading into the palace, Celina slowly pushed it open and went inside.  She carried her son through the large hall, occasionally turning onto another path.  Finally, she reached her destination.  As she entered the nursery, she used her free hand to flip on a small light.  She gently put her son down and went to retrieve his pajamas.  She returned to find her son sitting on the floor, struggling to remove his armor.  Smiling, Celina put the pajamas down and gently pulled the armor off over his head.  He looked up at her as he pulled off a glove.

"I can dress myself, mommy."

She smiled slightly, then handed him his pajamas, "All right, darling."

She sat down in a soft chair next to his bed.    She smiled slightly as she watched him tangle with his tight clothing, until he finally succeeded in getting changed.  She then picked him up and gently placed him in bed.  Tucking the blanket under his chin, Celina turned out the light.  She leaned down to kiss her son's forehead.

"Good night, Vegeta-chan."

She started to leave when she heard her son speak, "…Mommy…?" he said softly.

Turning to face him, she replied, "Yes, darling?"

"…Would you…sing for me…?" he asked slowly, as if he were afraid she would refuse.

Smiling, Celina sat back down in the chair next to his bed, "Of course, darling."  She smoothed his hair with one hand as she began to sing softly.

"Night out 'cause

while a dove soars

across the silver moon

all along the rose petals glows

and kiss the night

All across the darken night sky

sail fireflies, gently lighting shadows that

hide a thousand eyes

I dreamed dream no dream

you can feel the forest calling out to you

I dreamed dream no dream

close your eyes my darling child

When the dawn comes,

you'll see these

things I have for you

Morning dew and the scent of our jasmine summer breeze

Night hawks seens

As the black ravens circles overhead

all along the white lily bends and slowly dies

all across the darken night sky

the thunder roars, winds come howling

harmony to a lone wolf cry

I dreamed dream no dream

you can feel the forest calling out to you

I dreamed dream no dream

close your eyes my darling child

When the dawn comes, you'll see these

things I have for you…"

As her son neared sleep, Celina softly hummed the melody.  She looked up when she heard the door open.  Her husband walked over to her, placing his left hand on her shoulder.  Smiling, she wrapped her arm around his waist as they looked down at their son.

After a moment, Vegeta spoke softly, "Are you coming to bed, Celina?"

"Yes…" she smiled, "It looks like he's almost asleep."

Celina slowly rose from her chair, turning to her husband.  As she hugged him, Vegeta wrapped his arms around his wife's small frame, cradling her head with one hand.  He leaned down a bit as he gently kissed her.  When he broke the brief kiss, He smiled at her.

"You go ahead…I'll be along in a moment…"

"All right."

She disengaged his arms and quietly left the room.  Vegeta then turned to look at his son, who was lying quietly in his bed.  He reached down to gently stroke his son's hair as he watched him.  The boy looked as he did at that age.  He could, however, sense some of Celina's influence in the boy's personality.  Smiling slightly, Vegeta turned to leave the room.  As he reached the doorway, he paused.

"Sleep well…my son…"

A cold breeze raked the countryside, causing the sleeping prince to shiver violently.  He came awake with a start as a large drop of water landed on his cheek.  Sitting up, he stuck his hand out under a nearby branch.  He quickly pulled it back as the rain began to soak through his glove.  Vegeta wrapped his cloak tighter around his body as he came awake, his last dream still fresh in his mind.

_"…I dreamed again?  How strange…I almost never dream…and certainly not about my childhood days…"_ he wiped the rain from his face with the corner of his cloak, _"…This time father was there…I remember that evening…I was just about to fall asleep when father came in…That was the first time I'd ever seen him show affection to anyone…I remember, when I got up the next morning, I thought I'd dreamt it…But then mother told me that it really did happen.  She said 'He doesn't always like to show it, but your father loves us both very much'…"_ he turned his gaze upward, _"Father was always somewhat hard on me…I guess because I was the Crown Prince…he wanted me to become a strong warrior, so I could be a strong King someday.  I never would have thought that he loved me the way that my mother did…But…he did show that he cared in other ways, I suppose…"_ he yawned as he lay back down, "…Father…" he murmured as he drifted back to sleep.

__

The young Saiya-jin prince wiped a bead of sweat from his brow as he adjusted the temperature control.  He sighed softly; entering a planet's atmosphere always made it uncomfortably hot inside the spacecraft.  Leaning forward slightly, he looked out the tinted window to see the features of the planet coming into focus quickly as he descended.  He could now see the tall towers of the Royal Palace, where he was headed.  A few moments later, he felt the jolt as his spacecraft made contact with the landing pad.  He quickly opened the hatch and climbed out.  Moments later, he spotted a small group of men walking toward him.  The one in front was very tall, with spiky brown hair and a mustache; he wore the typical Saiya-jin uniform with the addition of a crest on the chest of his armor, and a medallion that hung from his neck.  Two shorter men followed him, each following a step behind him.  They stopped a few paces in front of where young Vegeta stood.

The tallest acknowledged him with a nod, "Vegeta."

He returned the nod, "Father."

"What have you to report?"

The young prince grinned, "Taigon-sei is now yours!"

Vegeta Ou smiled, then glanced at the two men behind him, "You heard him.  The conquest was a success.  You are dismissed."

"Yes, sire." they replied in unison.

The two men turned and quickly walked away, talking quietly.  Vegeta Ou then returned his gaze to his son.

"Tell me all about it." he said, smiling.

"There were a lot of them; more than we thought there'd be…and they were strong, all of them!" he grinned, "But, none as strong as me.  I finished them off easily.  They were begging for mercy within an hour."

"And you return uninjured?"

"Not a scratch on me." he smiled as he looked up at his father, "Just like you taught me."

Vegeta Ou leaned down and picked his son up, hugging him tightly to his chest.  The young prince hesitated, then returned the gesture.  After a moment, Vegeta Ou pulled away slightly, looking at his son.

"I'm proud of you, son…Your first conquest, and you did marvelously." he grinned, "Let's go tell your mother."

"Right!"

Vegeta Ou hoisted his son up, placing him on his shoulders.  The King held his son's legs as the Prince gripped his wild hair.  He then hurried down the hallway, toward the door that lead out into his wife's garden.  Vegeta Ou stopped briefly, sticking his head in the door to the palace kitchen.  He spotted the head cook and called out to him.

"You, cook!" when the man turned and bowed in acknowledgement, he went on, "Prepare a banquet!  Tonight, we celebrate my son's successful conquest of Taigon-sei!"

"Yes, sire!"

The cook quickly hurried off to do as he had been ordered.  With that done, Vegeta Ou turned and headed toward his original destination.  As his father strode through the hallway, the young prince grinned.  As he clutched his father's thick hair, Vegeta Ou's words rang in the prince's head.__

"I'm proud of you…son!" 

Young Vegeta rolled onto his other side, grumbling in his sleep.  Moments later, he turned again.  Groaning, he then sat up, wiping one eye with his hand.

_"Why can't I sleep tonight?  Is it because of…all these dreams…?"_ he frowned, _"This time it was about father…I remember that day…when I returned home from my first conquest, of Taigon-sei…Father smiled and told me he was proud…"_ he smiled slightly, _"That made me so happy…That was the first time I'd ever seen him smile like that…He never knew it, but…one reason I trained so hard…was so he'd smile like that for me…"_ he shook his head slightly, _"…Now I'm sounding like my mother…but it's true…Though he was hard on me sometimes, I wanted to please him.  Okaasan had always told me that he was strict because he cared for me, and wanted the best for me…I never believed her until I saw how happy I made him by doing as he'd taught me."_ his gaze turned skyward, _"He wasn't really affectionate, like mother sometimes was, but still…he was a good father…He always did care for me…He taught me to be strong, so I could care for myself…so I could have a good life…He was always a bit temperamental, but he was never really cruel to me, or mother…"_ he shook his head slightly, _"I'll bet he's really mad now, after that failed campaign…"_

His eyes widened as Nappa's words rang though his mind, _"…Your father has been…killed…He was on Vegeta-sei when it exploded…"_

His young face mirrored his disbelief, _"No…how can he be…?"_ he gasped softly, _"…and mother was…!"_ he drew his knees up, wrapping his arms around them, rocking slightly, _"…No…it can't be…It has to be some sort of dream…a terrible nightmare…"_

He reached up with one hand and pinched his right cheek, hard.  He flinched, not from the pain, but from the sense of reality that came crashing down on him.  He buried his face against his knees.  His chest heaved with ragged breaths as soft whimpering sounds came from deep in his throat.  But no tears came.

"…I guess father trained me better than I thought…now…after all that's happened…I can't even cry…"

He sat like that, grieving his parents, for some time.  Finally, he sat up straighter, seeming to get a little control.

_"…I have to snap out of this…My people will need me to be a strong…"_ his eyes widened, _"…Wait…Nappa said that the only Saiya-jin that survived were the ones that were away today…that means…"_ he did a quick mental count, _"…Besides me…there are only two others left…"_ his expression turned thoughtful, _"…But who…?"_

He silently prayed that they were people he was close to.  Moments later, his eyes took on a slightly stricken look as he frowned, _"…Nappa…and Raditsu…"_ he bit his lip slightly, _"…I can't believe it…Nappa and Raditsu…are the only ones left…?  But…I barely know Raditsu…and Nappa…He might as well not even be here…He's just a mindless twit…" _He leaned his face against his knees again, _"…I guess I'm on my own…"_

The young prince sat like this for quite a while.  He looked up when he heard a voice coming through the scouter at his ear.

"Vegeta Ou!  Do you read me?" Nappa's voice intruded into his thoughts.

"Stop calling me that!" he snapped, irritation showing strongly in his voice.

"…What…?"

"Stop calling me 'Vegeta Ou'!  That is my father's title, not mine!  You will continue to address me as you always have!"

"…Y-Yes, Vegeta-sama…!"

"Now, what did you want?"

"We've just reached Cissico-sei.  Someone will be down to pick you up shortly."

"Very well…"

With that, Nappa disconnected, leaving Vegeta to his thoughts once more.  He shook his head slightly.

"I have to regain control of myself…I can't let anyone see me like this…" 

The young Saiya-jin sat, taking deep breaths, trying to get his emotions under control.  A few moments later, he crawled out from under his tree.  He stood, looking up at the sky.  If he squinted, he could see the small spacecraft in the distance.  He turned his gaze to the right, to the spot where Vegeta-sei should have been visible.

_"…Father…Mother…You've both given me so much…I will **never** forget that…"_ his small hand clenched into a fist, _"…Now, I will take up your mission to destroy Furiiza…Even if it takes me a lifetime, I **will** see that tyrant die at my hands!"_ He blinked quickly, _"…I will bring honor to you…Father…Mother…!"_

When Vegeta lowered his head, he was shocked to feel tears running down his cheeks.  He slowly wiped them away with the back of his hand.  As a gentle breeze caressed his face and swept through his hair, Vegeta turned his gaze to where he spotted the spacecraft landing a short distance away.  He wiped the last remaining tears from his eyes and took off toward the small craft, his mind already working.

"…Somehow…I'll get you…Furiiza…!"

Owari

**Japanese Terms:**

_-sama –  _An honorific suffix. 

_Ou – _King (thus, 'King Vegeta')

_Ouji – _Prince

_-chan – _An affectionate suffix

_Ki – _This one is hard to explain…it's the Japanese equivalent of the Chinese 'chi'; it's basically 'life force' or 'life energy'

_Owari – _End   v


End file.
